NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures

03/09/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/09/2026 14:44

State Statutes Prohibiting Tampering with Voting Systems

Related Topic: Elections

At least 46 states have statutes that prohibit tampering with voting systems or devices or equipment on which a vote is cast and counted. The chart does not cover other kinds of voting crimes such as tampering with ballots, destruction of ballot supplies, voting fraud or voter intimidation.

Depending on the terminology and definitions a state uses, tampering with voting systems or machines can include physically damaging a voting device, or tampering with the software, hardware or source code of the voting equipment, or both.

For states without a direct statutory prohibition on voting machine tampering, the act of tampering or damaging a voting system may be covered under other laws, including general prohibitions on interference with an election, or cybersecurity statutes.

In addition to tampering laws, state computer crime statutes also could be used to prosecute unauthorized access or hacking of computerized voting systems.

Search:
Tampering Laws by State
State Terminology or Included Technology Penalty

Alabama

Ala. Code § 17-17-23

Electronic voting machine

Misdemeanor

Alaska

No statute found.

N/A

Arizona

Ariz. Rev. Stat 16-1004

Voting equipment

Felony

Arkansas

Ark. Code Ann. § 7-1-104

Voting machine

Felony

California

Cal. Elec. Code § 18564.5

Voting system

Voting machine

Voting device

Vote tabulating device

Civil penalty not to exceed $50,000 for each act and for injunctive relief, if appropriate.

Colorado

Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 1-13-708, 31-10-1534

Electronic or electromechanical voting equipment (all elections)

Voting machine (municipal elections)

Felony (for tampering with electronic voting equipment in any election)

Misdemeanor (for tampering with voting machines in municipal elections)

Connecticut

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-367

Voting tabulator

Other appliance used in connection with a tabulator

Felony

Delaware

Del. Code Ann. tit. 15, § 5116

Voting machine (or any parts thereof)

Fine not less than $300 nor more than $500 and may be imprisoned not less than one nor more than two years.

Florida

Fla. Stat. § 104.30

Voting system or equipment

Felony

Georgia

Ga. Code Ann. §§ 21-2-580, 21-2-582

Voting machine

Electronic ballot marker

Tabulating machine

Direct recording electronic equipment

Felony

Hawaii

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 19-3

Voting machine

Fined no less than $1,000 and no more than $5,000 or imprisoned no more than two years.

Idaho 

Idaho Code §§ 34-2404, 18-2306 

Voting machine or vote tally system

Felony

Illinois

ll. Comp. Stat. Ann. ch. 10, § 5/29-7

Voting machine or device

Electronic voting system

Ballot card system

Felony

Indiana

Ind. Code §§ 3-14-3-8, 3-14-3-5

Voting equipment or materials

Felony

Iowa

Iowa Code § 39A.2

Voting equipment

Automatic tabulating equipment

Felony

Kansas

Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 25-4412 to 25-4414

Electronic or electromechanical voting system

Felony

Kentucky

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 119.115

Voting machine

Voting equipment

Voting system

Electronic poll book

Election administration information system

Felony

Louisiana

La. Rev. Stat. § 18:1461.6

Voting equipment

Fined no more than $10,000 or imprisoned at "hard labor" for no more than five years, or both.

Maine

Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 21-A, § 860

Voting device

Class B Crime

Maryland

Md. Election Law Code § 16-804

Electronic voting system (or any of the hardware, components or software utilized by the system)

Felony

Massachusetts

Mass. Gen. Laws Ann. Ch. 56, § 51

Voting machine

Fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than two and a  half years or in the state prison for not less than two and a half nor more than five years, or both.

Michigan

Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.932

Voting machine

Felony

Minnesota

Minn. Stat. § 211B.076

Electronic voting system

Electromechanical voting equipment

Gross misdemeanor

Mississippi 

Miss. Code Ann. § 97-13-43

Voting machine

Tabulating computer Device to be used "at or in connection with any election:

Felony

Missouri

Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 115.631, 115.633

Voting machine

Marking device

Computer program or counting equipment

Automatic tabulating equipment

Felony

Montana

Mont. Code Ann. §§ 13-35-205, 13-35-206, 45-7-208 

Voting systems

Appliance used in connection with a voting system 

Imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 10 years or fined an amount not to exceed $50,000, or both. 

Nebraska

No statute found.

N/A

Nevada

Nev. Rev. Stat. § 293.755

Mechanical voting system

Mechanical voting device

Any computer program used to conduct an election

Felony

New Hampshire 

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659:42

Electronic ballot counting device

Felony

New Jersey 

N.J. Rev. Stat. § 19:53A-15

Voting device

Automatic tabulating equipment

Third degree crime

New Mexico

N.M. Stat. Ann. § 1-20-5

Voting machine

Felony

New York

N.Y. Elec. Law § 17-130

Voting machine

Misdemeanor

North Carolina

No statute found

N/A

North Dakota

N.D. Cent. Code § 16.1-06-25

Voting system

Device to be used or being used in any election

Felony

Ohio

Ohio Rev. Code § 3599.27 

Voting machine

Marking device

Automatic tabulating equipment

"Or any of the parts, appurtenances, or accessories thereof."

Felony

Oklahoma

Okla. Stat. tit. 26, § 9-118

Voting device or any part thereof

Felony

Oregon

Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 260.645, 260.993 

Voting machine ((11) "Voting machine" means any device that will record every vote cast on candidates and measures and that will either internally or externally total all votes cast on that device. ORS 246.012)

Vote tally system

Felony

Pennsylvania

Pa. Stat. tit. 25, § 3518 

Voting machine

Misdemeanor 

Rhode Island

R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-19-42

Voting equipment

Felony

South Carolina

S.C. Code Ann. § 7-13-1920

Voting machine

Misdemeanor

South Dakota

S.D. Codified Laws § 12-26-23.1

Automatic ballot counting device

Direct recording electronic voting machine

Electronic ballot marking system

Felony

Tennessee

Tenn. Code Ann. § 2-19-118

Voting machine

Voting device

Voting system

Electronic poll book

Vote tabulating device

Ballot tally software program source codes

Felony

Texas

Tex. Penal Code Ann.§ 33.05

Direct recording electronic voting machine (or any computer network, program, software or system that is part of a voting system that uses DRE machines)

Felony

Utah

Utah Code Ann. § 20A-5-706

Voting device

Voting equipment

Automated voting system

Felony

Vermont

No statute found.

N/A

Virginia

Va. Code Ann. § 24.2-1009

Voting equipment

Software used to prepare and operate voting equipment

Software or hardware used to collect and disseminate election returns

Felony

Washington

Wash. Rev. Code § 29A.84.560

Voting machine or device

Election system

Felony

West Virginia 

W. Va. Code §§ 3-4A-33, 3-9-1

Automatic tabulating equipment

Vote-recording device

Electronic poll book

Felony

Wisconsin 

Wis. Stat. §§ 12.13(3)(f), 12.13(3)(z), 12.13(2)(b)(6)

Voting device

Voting machines

automatic tabulating equipment

Felony

Wyoming

Wyo. Stat. §§ 22-26-104, 22-26-101

Voting machine

Felony

Note: This page should be used for general informational purposes only.

Our organization does not run elections and cannot provide legal advice. If you are a voter looking for assistance, please contact your local election official. You can find your local election official's website and contact information by using this database from the US Vote Foundation.

NCSL - National Conference of State Legislatures published this content on March 09, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 09, 2026 at 20:44 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]